Top counter terror officer left secret documents in car before they were stolen

One of the country's most senior counter terrorism officers has been fined £3,500 for leaving confidential documents in a car for up to five days before they were stolen.

Asst Ch Cons Marcus Beale, who was the counter terror lead for West Midlands Police, admitted to leaving papers in a locked case in an unmarked police car.

The briefcase containing the documents - which outlined details about counter terror investigations and intelligence - was among the possessions stolen from the vehicle in May.

Beale, 54, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday where he pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to safeguard information under the Official Secrets Act.

A West Midlands Police spokesman said Beale had been suspended on full pay after he received the summons to court in November.

Beale joined West Midlands Police in 2011 and held its security portfolio, with responsibility for the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit and local policing in Birmingham at the time the documents were stolen.